Decorating, Humor, Life

I Don’t Hate Painting Furniture Anymore

Writer McWriterson

A few years ago, I wrote a post titled I Hate Painting Furniture. It was a good post, actually one of my favorites which is why I reblogged it this past Friday.

If you didn’t get a chance to read it, maybe go read it first then come back and read this post.

Like demented blogging homework.

So my nightstands used to look like this:

Circa 2017

They were ugly and I couldn’t even rationalize the oh, it’s in a room where we keep our eyes shut most of the time mentality any longer.

So I painted them white.

The drawers were broken from the painting process. You’d know this if you did your demented blogging homework.

And if you can imagine, I made them even worse in the process.

Only I could make a DIY project worse by trying to improve it.

But I was exhausted from the creative process of painting them and let them sit all scuffed, broken drawers (by the way, EXCELLENT band name) and shitty-looking for another three years.

Then we decided to paint our bedroom white back in February because the pukish brown tan color originally in there was too dark, so we went with white paint to make it brighter.

Only, wait for it, the room was TOO white after we were done.

I mean, it looks 100 percent better in this room but it’s a lot of white.

There is an inappropriate joke about Caucasians in there somewhere.

On a whim, I decided that I needed to do something about those stupid nightstands. Those stupid, broke-ass, white nightstands.

At first, I thought I would just go to IKEA and drop 50 bucks on two nightstands, which is totally feasible.

But then I realized that finding nightstands with drawers for that price is kind of hard and we do need storage, so those stupid broke ass white nightstands are important to this room.

Which meant, I was going to have to paint them. Again.

AWW MAN, I HATE PAINTING FURNITURE.

They look good from afar but if you get closer you will see the shit show that is my nightstand situation.

Then I had an epiphany; I could spray paint the nightstands. I’ve spray painted lots of furniture in my home before, why did I never think to do that with these nightstands?

This piece is what I had in mind when I was thinking about spray painting our nightstands:

Back in 2012, I had so much more energy. I mean, I was almost eight years younger and eight years makes a huge difference as you age. Let’s be clear, I am not in the nursing home yet, but my eight years younger knees could do things that my eight years older knees only dream of.

There’s another amazing joke there that I won’t touch because my mom reads this blog.

I painted that old record cabinet and turned it from a dark hunter green (can you say the 90s?) to the vision in yellow that it is now with spray paint.

Eight years later, it’s still going strong, so that inspired me to do it again. Spray paint can transform, and it is so much easier to do than using a paintbrush.

Hell, I even redid an entire family room with six cans of spray paint.

Did I mention how much energy I used to have?

Spray Can on Gray Concrete

So I headed to Home Depot and got me some green spray paint, Eden Green by Rustoleum, to be exact.

I wanted green because green is my favorite color and since I share this room with a boy (my husband), I didn’t want it to look too girly.

Green is a great color because it can be both feminine and masculine and also, I feel like green brings the outside in.

Especially in winter when everything outside is dead and white.

Insert another inappropriate Caucasian joke.

The picture looks like there are splotches of white still showing. It doesn’t look like that in person but I am sure it is there because HAVE YOU JUST MET ME?

It looks so much better and strokes my ego so much more than my shitbox white nightstands did.

I mean, think about it. Every time I went to bed, I would see my painting failure. Like a reminder that I can’t be trusted doing any form of DIY. Or anything in general. That’s a harsh reality to go to sleep to.

But now?

I am reminded that I can do things to make our house more of a home.

That in the midst of sadness, I created something that made our nest a little fluffier.

I ended up using three cans of paint total for two nightstands for a total cost of under $10 to completely transform these babies. I also decided to paint the knobs as well because they don’t easily remove from these shitbox pieces and it actually turned out pretty nice.

And now? I don’t hate painting furniture anymore.

Kind of.

Ish.

25 thoughts on “I Don’t Hate Painting Furniture Anymore”

  1. Your skills amaze me. Seriously. I love that shade of green in your room. Your room is refreshing and light. Dang it!!! Now I want to freshen my room. Kari! Too old for this….🤣

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  2. I really love that green and it’s amazing to me that spray paint can make it look better than actual painting with a brush.

    I also love how the green ties in with March and St. Patrick’s Day although I know you didn’t plan it that way. THEN you would be the most amazing DIY blogger ever. You actually are the most amazing DIY blogger in my eyes. 😊

    Why do all my comment sound like I’m a stalker??

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  4. Yay. This is like the happy ending in a Disney movie: “And they lived happily ever after.”
    You really cracked me up with all your caucasian jokes; making fun of white people isn’t racist. Right?
    “eight years younger knees could do things that eight years older knees only dream of.”
    100% accurate.
    I’m so happy that you’re happy with the outcome. I love the green with all the soft whites in your room.

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  6. Wait, doesn’t stuff stick to the spray paint? Why do I think that spray paint dries sticky? I have honestly never used spray paint to paint anything, but my husband is a firm believer that it can be used for any craft project. He is currently in the process of making jet packs for the scouts by spray painting 2 liter soda bottles.

    Your night stands look amazing! Also, if you find $50 night stands with drawers, let me know! I haven’t been able to find them for less than $100 a piece. That being said, I don’t currently need any, but it would be nice to know that they exist…I guess.

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    1. So it depends on the material you’re spray painting. Metal is THE worst and usually ends up sticky. I don’t put glasses of water on it unless I have a coaster because of sticking. So that’s the downside. But I have pretty nightstands so it’s all good.

      I couldn’t find them either. Even on Facebook Marketplace. 🙄

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  7. Love the green. I don’t paint furniture. I did it once when I was 8th grade not knowing what I was doing and ruined a perfectly lovely vanity that was my grandmothers. And then I ruined it more as an adult when I tried to fix it and strip it. Now, I pay people if I want to redo furniture because I learn from my mistakes. (I wish I would have taken this to heart before I ruined my husband’s parking meter lamp attempting to rewire it.)

    All that to say…your DIY’s are more successful than mine. And prettier.

    And OMG on the knees. I laughed. Funny cuz it’s true.

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    1. I’m frightened of words like “refinishing” or “stripping” (not in relation to being nude; okay maybe that too) when it comes to furniture painting. So I get you completely.

      I miss my eight years ago knees so very much.

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  8. You are braver than me. I have pulled up carpet and painted walls and made curtains and stenciled walls and painted a mural- but never anything ON furniture. Your results look great. That room would impress Joanne . . . Yes that Joanne, no last name needed, am I right?

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  9. This right here is pretty much how all my DIY decisions are made: “I also decided to paint the knobs as well because they don’t easily remove from these shitbox pieces and it actually turned out pretty nice.”

    I used to walk into The ReBuilding Store and see a room full of potential, and now I walk in and see a room full of junk and future failed projects. And then I turn around and walk right out.

    BUT: I do love how you’re making what you’ve got work (I’m learning how to just put up with the things I don’t like so much) and the green is so much better!

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